Category: Style

The winter season does not pass without me purchasing at least one new coat and a new pair of boots. If you’re reading this blog, you’re likely to be the same. How could one possibly miss out on the opportunity to add to our wardrobes items almost as powerful as the handbag, but so much more protective? We don’t! Today, I want to talk specifically about boots.

I love boots. I am guessing I own around twenty pairs. Most are black, a few tan and brown, some wedged, Chelsea, studded and over the knee. Ankle boots and booties, knee high riding boots or edgy biker chic -you get the picture. Nonetheless, regardless of how many boots I might own and how many varieties I might boast I have the option of choosing from, it recently became very apparent that the majority of the boots in my collection lack the true fashion clout one needs to demonstrate the attitude of the boot this particular winter season.

I realised last Sunday whilst preparing my ensemble for a Monday in the office. I was keeping it pretty simple in a jeans and shirt ensemble – as you do on a Sunday, but was desperate for a pair of boots to ramp up the edge, bring the fashion know how and the bang on trend-ness to what I was wearing. So, I began slipping my feet into the boots all lined up in my dressing room slash walk in wardrobe (yes, in my new home I have one of these now!) and I realised, I need to step up my boot game at least five fold!

I have every boot you could ever need for whatever the occasion, smart, running around, evening drinks, dressed up drinks, boots to go food shopping in and boots for clothes shopping. Boots that can’t be worn in the rain and boots to keep you warm. Every single boot, apart from the boots I have decided I need the most, the boot for complete and utter frivolity.

This winter, boots are on trend in a big way. The same fashion kudos we once got from wearing black stack heeled, round toed ankle boots with a pair of black jeans no longer applies. The shape, the heel, the height, the length, the colour and the entire attitude of the boot has changed. This winter, the approach to wearing boots is to build your ensemble from the feet up, making your boots the major player. And if the boot is the star of this show, then they need to be perfectly on point! Here’s the boots on my radar for winter 2014-15…

The Over the Knee Flat Boot

The over the knee boot literally defined my early twenties. I purchased a pair from Office in the winter of 2009 and wore them throughout the entire winter. Five years later and they are back again! If you want to change up the standard, go to ankle boots and jeans ensemble, opt for the over the knee boot instead. I recently purchased a new pair of these boots and will only wear mine specifically with black jeans only, as my thighs aren’t exactly pin slim and the length of these boots naturally draws attention to this area of the leg. No need for me to tell you why I absolutely love black. Opt for your over the knee boots black leather as opposed to suede and not only do you get a cleaner and sleeker look, but you’ll love be able to wear these boots come rain or shine.

The Heeled Thigh High Boot

In 2010 the world was crazy about the ‘V’ boot. Also known as the Vagina boot – I too was crazy about this boot. They were long, tall and creeping way up our legs till their tops disappeared beneath the hem of your mid-thigh length skirt or worn with trousers, barely showed any of your thigh at all. They were slightly reminiscent of a dominatrix, powerful, commanding and overtly sexual – like many a shoes if this fashion era were. Fashion has refined itself significantly since and the thigh high boot isn’t so eager to make it’s way up to your nether region.

The key to wearing a heeled pair of thigh high boots is, make sure they fit close enough to the leg and ankles. The likelihood is that you’ll want to wear these boots with a midi skirt, another big trend of the season and in my humble opinion long clean lines beneath a midi skirt looks neater and is more slimming. Of course Alber Elbaz’s Fall 2014/15 Lanvin collection says differently. Opt for your heeled thigh high boots in suede to take the sexual edge off, which you are likely to get from a pair of long leather thigh highs and to add extra style kudos, why not avoid black completely and go for a soft grey? I am quite inclined to opt for these boots in berry red – once I find them! Wear these boots in the evening with a shift dress or a pair of high waisted leather shorts or wear with jeans during the day.

The Knee High Boot

Well, there’s not much to say on the knee high boot that Frida Giannini hasn’t already said on the Fall 2014/15 Gucci runway. This Gucci catwalk was almost a master class of every which way you should wear the the knee high boot this winter. First and foremost, the boot must sit directly beneath the knee, it just doesn’t work drifting between calf and knee, and again, they must be slim and close to the leg to create those clean lines I just love Gucci for. Wear these swinging sixties, mod boots with an A-line skirt, a shift dress or a mini dress and select them in any colour, from powder blue or cream snake skin, berry red, nude or black with a barely there heel for the day and a thick high heel for the evening. Wear these boots instead of a loafer or brogue and wear just as Frida has demonstrated, with above the knee hemmed dresses and skirts. I just adore this entire collection.

The Ankle Boot

Let’s face it, it’s not everyday that we’ll want our pins completely wrapped in leather, so the ankle boot still remains the quick go to boot. However, the shape of this fail safe boot has evolved somewhat. To be completely and utterly on the nose, the ankle boot is just a little longer, sitting slightly above the ankle as opposed to on the ankle. The toe of the boot is slightly more elongated and more pointed. The result is a much sharper, maybe even slightly rockier look, than that of the smart casual feel of the round toe Chelsea boot. The difference in the actual boot is only subtle, but what it will do for your jeans ensemble is massive. I can’t wait to get my hands on a pair of these!

The Cut Out Boot

I shunned these boots as the most ridiculous boots ever created! I could NOT get my head around why a shoe worn in the winter, to keep feet from the cold, rain and snow would have chunks cut out of it? Surely the holes defeated the entire purpose of wearing a boot in the first instance? I was perplexed as to why these boots were ever even created. At least, that was my thinking was till I tumbled upon endless pics of the Balenciaga cut out boot all over Tumblr and could not resist how edgy they looked and how much they did for the most basic ensemble. So, naturally I bought a pair. It’s pretty simple really, wear your cut out boots with any and everything. These boots are all about attitude, so wear them when you are prepared to add a little fashion and frivolousness to what would be a typically practical and functional boot. Be warned though, some people still don’t get it!

The Cleated Sole Boot

This boot sits in the same family as the cut out boot. Like Marmite, you either love them or hate them. Right now, I would say I hate them. Of course, I have once said the same about Brikenstocks and the cut out boots and own a pair both. In all fairness, the truth is, I do like the cleated sole boot, I just hate them for me. At thirty years old, I think this is a trend I am going to have to let pass me by. Admittedly, I also said the same about the cut out boot as well. But if you like the idea of stomping around town in the comfort of a cleated sole – it does sound tempting – this boot is indeed for you. Slightly less elegant, more fashion student and Tumblr chic, these boots are perfect for the youthful street style maven. And if you’ve donned the cut out boots with absolutely no qualms last year, then the cleated boot is a natural progression. I don’t think you’ll be seeing the likes of Olivia Palermo or Victoria Beckham street styling it up in these!

Which boots will you go for?

My aim is to have them all…because, let’s be honest, I am likely to fall for the cleated boot pretty soon too.

How to fashion yourself now…

For most, September is the hardest month to dress oneself. Of course this makes sense – it’s the time of uncertainty for dandies and fashion concerned clothes wearers. We have been so busy honing and compiling our summer wardrobes, taking to Pinterest and Tumblr for street style inspiration and then shopping accordingly, that we haven’t even given much thought to the 2014-15 autumn/winter catwalk shows that we watched back in February.

I personally feel like, just as I truly got into the swing of my fashioned summer self – lots of shorts, printed trousers, Birkenstocks, camisole tops and a general laid back Celine inspired approach – were the shops displaying winter garb too warm to wear and the magazines discussing new coat trends far too early to invest in.

Yet, in London, August just gone, it was far too chilly to be sporting shorts and camisole tops, however, not quite the season for tights and boots. And, here we are in September, the appearance of the sun is slightly unreliable, but there is a much warmer temperature than the previous month. Indeed, we have reached the time in the year when our summer wardrobes need to be adapted slightly to contend with the colder mornings and evenings and days that may not be as bright as they were in the height of summer.

It is the transitional seasons that I find to be the most intriguing in terms of fashion, particularly the summer to autumn as opposed to winter to spring. The glossies are fatter and more overwhelming than ever. The spectrum of styles and trends worn by street style icons varies more vastly than ever and the commuters that I see every day in London are a mash up of ankle boots worn with dresses, cut off shorts with kimonos, to coats with sandals.

The transitional seasons can bring about uncertainty because the season hasn’t actually managed to synch itself with the edits in the fashion magazines – there is no definitive fashion rhetoric stating that this is what should be worn NOW. The silver lining of this very short lived moment in fashion is, it is our time to shine – to wear whatever we want, to interpret the trends that we loved of the summer just gone and piece them together with the purchases we have made for the coming winter season.

My approach to defining my look and streamlining my wardrobe for this ‘in-between’ time is almost like creating a capsule collection of garments that include pieces from my summer wardrobe, pieces from my winter wardrobe and a few pieces that I have purchased specifically to hack these trans-seasonal dilemmas. I think the challenge is to feel as though you are dressed appropriately as well as fashionably and so far, these nine tips have been my solution…

1.Wear your mum jeans till you can’t wear them any more…

When in doubt, don’t we all just opt for jeans? I know it’s not very creative, but this is the perfect time to really value mum, boyfriend and tapered jeans. I only wear these more relaxed fit jeans at an ankle grazing length and with heeled sandals, stilettos and shoes that tend to expose the foot as opposed to cover it. The combination of the shoe and a bit ankle on display helps to keep these relaxed fit jeans a little more sexy. I generally don’t enjoy wearing jeans in the height of summer and feel that these particular cut jeans are far too casual for my winter wardrobe, so the transitional seasons are perfect for ankle grazing jeans with stilettos. So I am wearing these mothers as much as I can right now!

2. Wear ripped jeans till the winter fairytale calms the distress…

The distressed jean is back – a little more refined than it was in the early noughties and maybe not as long lasting as it was in its last fashion reign. The 2014/15 winter trends are dreamy, sleek and refined, think shift dresses and long boots at Gucci, cinched waists and pencil skirts at Balmain and the Sicilian fairy tale at Dolce and Gabanna. It seems pretty that ripped jeans won’t be cutting it for much longer.

3. Don’t Cover Up to Soon…Hold off wearing tights and boots

My mother once told me, “Stay away from tights till October and boots till November.” I don’t always take her fashion rules on board, but adopting my respect for fashion and dress from her, I do like to consider them. Ankle boots, of course I will wear with a skirt or a dress throughout summer and autumn months, but I will not wear them with jeans and most certainly won’t wear my boots with tights – that’s far too much protection and coverage too soon. If it’s raining so heavily that a court shoe or a sandal is out of the question, I opt for brogues, driving shoes or slip on sneakers and if I can’t get away with wearing a skirt or dress without tights, then I simply go for a smart trouser. I think a wardrobe should change and transform as the seasons do. If we start wearing tights in September, the likelihood is we’ll be wearing them till March next year and where’s the fun in that? With the midi skirt back in fruition this winter, who needs tights anyway?

4. Throw some black trousers into the mix…

If you’re opting for a little more elegance than jeans can offer, but are also avoiding tights, like myself, how do you stay warm and tasteful? Tailored trousers! Like jeans, a pair of simple black trousers are trans-seasonal, but they have a slightly more mature edge on jeans. They look sexy and sleek paired with stilettos and smart and androgynous worn with loafers and brogues.

5. Smarten up your maxis….

You can call them maxi skirts and dresses I suppose – but something about the word maxi reminds me of summer and floatiness. Full length skirts and dresses paired with a chambray or denim shirt or a simple round neck jumper lengthens the longevity of a garment mostly associated with the sun. Biker jackets naturally toughen up this typically feminine garment. Wear these full length skirts and dresses with heeled strappy sandals, peep toe heeled shoes and even boots – Olivia Palermo has nailed this look to a T!

6. Replace your camisole vests with tops that cover your decolletage…

As versatile as those camisole tops were for the summer, it’s time to phase them out. You’ll find yourself needing a jacket or a cardigan to cover up wearing these thin and strappy tops – which can be unnecessary fuss, unless of course, your cover up is adding something aesthetically to the style of your ensemble. Never underestimate the good of a great t-shirt to tuck into jeans, culottes, midi skirts or a pair of tailored trousers. And if you’re looking for something a little more pulled together, opt for shell tops, sleeveless or short sleeved. These tops and tees won’t expose too much of your décolletage, therefore you can wear them without a jacket or scarf during the early months of autumn, but still have your arms on show whilst trying to hold on to summer.

7. Don’t be all buttoned up just yet – opt for a casual shirt…

On the days when it is slightly cooler, maybe too cool for a short sleeve, I opt for a casual shirt. My first choice is denim, but chambray and oxford and even my fiance’s shirts will make the cut. I pair these shirts with skinny jeans and a strappy heeled sandal or stiletto. I know in the midst of the winter I will head to Zara and purchase myself a shed load of smart, sharp and will-dress-up-any-ensemble- Celine-esque shirts and blouses and I will wear them right through till March. However, in the warmer months I like to keep things a little more relaxed than my winter wardrobe.

8. Show off your waistcoats This is a waistcoat’s prime time…

This is a waistcoat’s prime time! In the colder winter months I will wear a waistcoat over my shirt and beneath my coat, which is great for those that see me indoors and coat-less, but not so much when I am running about outside in the cold. If you want to give your waistcoat, which is a seriously cool garment, some serious airtime, now is the time to do it. For me, it is still too warm to wear a leather jacket and I feel too stuffy in a blazer. I am still flitting around London in short sleeve tops and tees without any outerwear at all. But if I want to add a little something to an ensemble, I pull out my waistcoat and throw it over over a shift dress or a shirt and jeans ensemble. Never have I worn it so much!

9. Say goodbye to flippy sandals…

Stop wearing your strappy flat delicate sandals and opt for a heeled sandal, a heavier and chunkier sandal or Birkenstocks. Strappy sandals are just a little too easy breezy for this transitional autumn period and boots are too wintery, so now is the time for peep toe boots, ankle sandals and shoes in colours or material you fear to wear in the winter. I say wear your Birckemstocks now and keep wearing them till you go off them – if you haven’t already. I think I have already gone off mine!

The coat is an instant game changer – so an easy way to adapt your wardrobe to the spring summer 2014 trends is to start with the coat. And although any pastel coloured coat nods itself to the trend – the real trend here is pink and in my humble opinion, the pastel coloured coat needs to be a pink coat. Just Google it and check out the uptake! This is a massive trend for the season and with your perfect pink coat you can be on trend every day!

Fringing/The Slip on Sneaker

Eva Chen ticks two key spring/summer 2014 trends on the list with this amazing ensemble that includes some fringing and the slip on sneaker, oh so a la mode, oh so Celine slash Givenchy!

Eva Chen

The slip on Sneaker – again!

God love fashion, Celine and Givenchy for making this slip on sneaker an absolute key item this spring. The slip on sneaker instantly adds a modern coolness to an ensemble and, moreover, they are totally comfortable and totally functional. Add a few pairs of these to the winter wardrobe, in leopard, in snake print, in metallic and check! I certainly will!

Celine Check slip on sneakersThe slip on sneaker with Celine clutch

The pointed flat shoe – (think stiletto without the stiletto heel!)

Yes! More flat shoes!Thank you Valentino! For when you want to appear a little smarter than you would in your slip on sneakers, slip your feet into these sleek and elegant flats. I just purchased a pair of pointed flats from Kurt Geiger called Norelle. I realised I needed this flat shoe last weekend when I was piecing together an outfit to spend the afternoon in the pub. It was warm and sunny and I wanted an ensemble that was effortless but still on trend. The ballet pump that I would usually opt for on this type of occasion just would not cut it. Ballet pumps are soooo last season. I ended up wearing my cut out metal chain Zara boots, but now I have another pair of flat shoes trending this spring!

The pointed flat

Gingham Check

Probably my least favourite check ever. Gingham reminds me far too much of table cloths and chess boards. I think it’s a pattern that is maybe just a little too basic for me. Having said that, Balmain has re-merchandised this boxy print and made it super sleek a la Rihanna, in this gingham overkill ensemble complete with bomber jacket. If like me, you’re a little apprehensive about investing in this trend, go for a gingham check blouse or cami.

Giovanna Battaglia at Paris Fashion Week

Minty, Sherbert, Baby and Sweet Pastels

‘Tis the perfect season for these sweet and sherbert-y colours! When the sun is shining I become almost allergic to black – I simply can’t wear it! However, in London the weather isn’t quite always permitting. So pastel coats, patent pastel coloured loafers, pastel handbags and such are a great way to take on the pastel trend now. For the warmer summer months go head to toe in pretty pastels and nude shoes. And if that’s all too sweet and nice, add some edge to this trend by pairing soft sherbert pinks and creamy, coral oranges with leopard. Always gotta love the leopard!

Olivia Palermo in Pink and Leopard

Balenciaga pastel clutch

Creative Denim and Jeans wear

The denim trend this spring is so much more than a denim shirt! It’s denim dungarees, denim skirts and denim on denim – once a fashion no-no now gets all the fashion kudos!Of course most of us will opt for day to day attire, so to show you are super on trend this season, have your black skinnies ripped and distressed and opt for boyfriend and tapered jeans in denim blue to mix it up a bit!

All hail the black leather skirt…

Although this garment is hardly breaking new ground, it has found its second wind and seems to be the new go to leather item after the much loved leather trousers we’ve all been rocking since last winter. It’s a fact, the black leather skirt will revolutionise our wardrobes this winter which is why I want to write an ode to it, so it might find itself beneath my tree this Christmas.

Although I own two pretty impressive leather skirts already, a wine red knee length skirt and a black leather tasselled shorter skirt, both from Zara, neither of these skirts quite have the ‘je ne sais quoi’ the black leather mini skirt has. You see the wine red skirt and the black leather tasselled skirts mentioned above are game changers, statement makers that need very little styling to look impressive.

Whereas the black leather skirt is impressive because of its massive impact albeit its simplicity. It has just as much versatility and wearability as the trusted black skirt, be it cotton or wool or even velvet, but with loads more style kudos and loads more edge. It’s what the leather trousers did for the black jeans last winter, you’d always just rather opt for the leather, wouldn’t you? At least I would.

The LBS (leather black skirt) can translate from day to night and is an easy garment to opt for when jeans feel a little too predictable and familiar. Wear the LBS with a pair of tights and boots in the rain, a high platform shoe for a glamorous night on the town or a loafer or brogue to nod towards the youthful back to school trend. Pair it with a blouse or shirt of any colour or print, make it casual with a jumper or edgy with a t-shirt.

You can’t go wrong with your simple black leather skirt in the winter. Not too dissimilar to your favourite pair of leather trousers, your favourite LBS will see you through your best and your worst days, through job interviews and first dates, meetings at work and dinner with friends – it will never let you down. And although you won’t be the trailblazer of a new fashion trend, if your LBS is conspicuous enough, it will never go out of fashion either.

So, we are in the midst of Milan Fashion week! And whilst the fashionites, like Anna Dello Russo and BFF and fashion partner in crime Giovanna Battaglia flit around the Milan attending runway shows to seek out the emerging trends for spring/ summer 2014 – Anna Dello Russo wowing street style fashion photographers with her ever so ‘a la mode’ ensembles, the rest of us are still trying to style our way into winter 2013/14.

For the fashion concerned functional girl or guy about town, the change of the season leaves us hanging momentarily in style limbo. The pages of Vogue are covered in winter coats and boots and all things in deep and dark hues – too soon to be worn just yet, models strut the runway adorned in floatier, lighter, brighter materials for the summer season, whilst we are left pounding the pavements in a combination of last year’s winter wardrobe and this year’s summer trends – still trying to figure out where we stand in all of this – or at least how to be best dressed!

When building that new turn of the season wardrobe, the place to start are the streets of Fashion Month; these streets are the perfect fashion edit, manipulated, streamlined and styled for the individual, even for the weather of said day, if not the season. And, if like me, your day job doesn’t allow for you to hang around the streets of whatever fashion venue it might be, waiting to spot the carefully selected ensembles of your favourite street style icons, then Tommy Ton and social media are your saviour!

Now, I am not championing Anna Dello Russo as my favourite street style icon, but I admire her dedication to fashion. She means to street style fashion what Jay Z and Beyonce mean to music – everyone (in the fashion sense of the word) knows what ADR’s wearing, and ultimately everyone (fashion again) should care, even if not particularly keen on her style.

She is the perfect point of reference, because she is the perfect indication of exactly what fashion is. She’s limitless, she’s unpredictable and she will wear ANYTHING – even from the Gucci menswear collection. My style might be sleek, sharp lines with a touch of sport luxe, Anna’s style is fashion. That’s it! Therefore you can trust that whatever Anna Dello Russo is wearing is sizzling hot right now. And if it’s that hot then it can’t be a bad place to begin navigating the trends for the coming season!

We would once be considered on trend and stylish just by the mere fact of owning the latest lifestyle gadget, be it the latest MP3 player, tablet, mobile phone, e-reader and so on and so forth. These little technological devices were once a worthy testament to our fashion savoir faire – particularly any device designed by Apple and predominantly the iPhone – because everyone needs a phone and any fashionista knows it needs to be an iPhone. Such a staple have these little pieces of technology become and so dear to us they are, that we are no longer merely protecting our iPhones in functional cases, we’re embellishing and adorning them like we embellish and adorn ourselves. I think of my Biba iPhone case as an investment, with massive cost per wear value, like a statement coat, a belt or pair of sunglasses. And like anything that has massive cost per wear, the iPhone embellishment offers big fashion kudos.

Admittedly, embellishing our iPhones is pretty frivolous, even for fashionistas – we wouldn’t pimp our phones before we have the shoes that we want, the sunglasses we’ve been coveting or the handbag we’ve fallen in love with – phone pimping is for the girl that has everything – at least that’s how she might appear and let’s be honest, who doesn’t want to look like they have it all? It’s why we buy handbags that cost more than our rent. Fashioning our iPhones is just so frivolous it’s fabulous and designers, fashion houses, fashionites and fashionistas aren’t missing out on the opportunity to make yet another part of our functional lives fabulous; the likes of Marc Jacobs and Moschino have created some super frivolous and massively recognisable cases, Marc Jacobs’ with the bunny ears, Moschino with the teddy bear. Celine continues to take the minimalist approach, and fashionite Giovanna Battaglia has designed her own line of baroque style iPhone clip on cases, which she can often be seen sporting when attending fashion events. If you haven’t yet made your iPhone fabulous with its functionality, why not get started? And then after that, your iPad, your Kindle and so on…

As the mornings remain darker for longer and daylight leaves us that bit earlier the unfortunate fact is looming…summer is over and out with it goes the summer wardrobe. This summer I fell in love with the maxi skirt, a white linen shirt and maxi skirt ensemble became my go to look for the season, to mix up the look I even took inspiration from my ultimate style icon Olivia Palermo and wore my maxi’s with heels. I will be sad to pack away my super comfortable, effortlessly glamorous maxi skirts and even more so to say goodbye to Summer 2012..But whilst the temperature remains in its double figures in London and it’s just warm enough to don my maxis I will…

Like this:

“Be daring, be different, be impractical, be anything that will assert integrity of purpose and imaginative vision against the play-it-safers, the creatures of the commonplace, the slaves of the ordinary.” Cecil Beaton quotes

No Holds Barred!

I am currently in the process of building my accessories collection. Although I continuously purchase new earrings and rings, I couldn’t help but notice that my bangle collection has somewhat fallen by the waist side. Instead of creating a wonderful pile up of bangles and bracelets, cuffs and chains made of leather, metal and mesh. I find myself slipping on the same bangle each and every morning – with no attention to aesthetic creativity at all. I have come to notice that my bangle collection hasn’t been updated with any statement pieces in (ashamedly so…) years. So I thought I’d share with you what’s inspiring my journey to updating my bangle collection…

There truly is an art to the perfect pile up, and once mastered, what a masterpiece…I think you’ll agree…

Wear your heart on your sleeve and your friendships on your wrist…The elegant pile up…All the bling you need…Watch yourself…Clash of the Cartier…Fabulous when casual…Bracelets, Spikes and FriendshipBecause more is more…Last but by no means least…simple, timeless black and gold…

My fashion task: Purchase some bedazzling bangles and to master the perfect pile up –

Like this:

Inspired by my Marrakech Wardrobe, the SS2012 trends, Carrie Bradshaw and the Sex and the City 2 wardrobe…

Up until three or four blog posts ago I had been slightly reluctant to post photos of myself on Charms of a Dandizette – I suppose because this blog isn’t really about what I look like. Having said that, as well as being concerned about fashion, Charms of a Dandizette is also about my personal style. So, I thought my next Marrakech inspired post, this one, should be about my wardrobe approach to my week in the Moroccan city.

I set myself a little fashion task for my trip, which was to implement as many of the season’s trends into my holiday wardrobe as financially, physically and tastefully possible. So neatly packed away in my powder pink Marrakech suitcase was a white Broderie Anglaise top, of course inspired by Marc Jacobs’ sweetly designed spring summer 2012 Louis Vuitton collection. Bravely I purchased three bra-lets, borrowed from the midriff baring trend that filtered across the catwalk’s of Italian fashion houses, from Dolce and Gabbana and Prada, to Versace and Miu Miu. I say ‘bravely’, because I didn’t do not even one sit up or even attempt to decrease my calorie consumption in preparation for midrif baring – but c’est la vie! My bra-lets were cleverly selected to nod towards several trends; a mint green bra-let lends itself toward the sherbet pastel colours currently being donned all over the high street, most commonly in the form of skinny jeans. And a scarf print bra-let, the pattern taking inspiration from the ancestral Versace patterns, which D and G also took inspiration from for their ss2012 collection, which saw tiny skirts and makeshift bra tops appear very 90s Versace.

I did a significant amount of research into appropriate dress for a Marrakech visit, to find out what was suitable to wear in this particular Muslim country. Of course, a lot of the information I found online was conflicting – some sites advised to cover shoulders, others said cover legs and others said you could wear whatever you liked. I thought best to cover my legs – I suppose because of my belief that legs are a far more overtly sexual than arms.

I took most of my inspiration from Carrie Bradshaw’s wardrobe in Sex and the City 2 and invested in lots of jewellery, even more eyeliner and lots of long flowing skirts and dresses in beautiful materials. The wonderful thing about billowing floor length dresses and skirts is, I felt no pressure whatsoever to wear heels and therefore I never – not once – the entire holiday. I stress this, because this is somewhat of a revelation for me! I packed two pairs of heels and didn’t remove either of them from their shoe bags. The other wonderful thing about length is, when worn in beautiful materials, it’s instantly glamorous! So with the glamour volume turned up, heels probably would have been overkill! Yes, me, the queen of bling can even identify overkill!

So for my discovery of overkill, for my week in flat shoes, for my courage to don a bra-let and for my time in Marrakech I feel proud!

So, here’s some snaps of the Marrakech wardrobe!

At Azar in Marrakech, wearing a black open back strappy top from Zara and patterned skirt from River IslandAt the Palais Charhamane Marrakech wearing black Miss Selfridge skirt and medallion scarf print crop top from TopshopAt Le Jardin Majorelle in Marrakech wearing my mum’s Broderie Anglais button back top from Next (this top is 30 years old!) Floral shorts from H and MAt the Atlas Medina Resort and Spa Marrakech, wearing pleated Primark maxi dress, woven clutch bag from Primark and earrings from Primark too! (Good old Primark!)At the Atlas Medina Resort and Spa Marrakech, wearing royal blue Topshop dress and enamel peacock chain from H and M.I am sure my sister won’t want to be on my blog..but she looks so nice I had to put this pic in. She’s wearing peach sheer trousers from Forever 21, bangle from H and M and watch by Michael Kors WatchWearing royal blue dress from Topshop in Gueliz. This is a great picture! I love the striking blue and the whimsicality of the dress against the city…

It’s been a while Dandies and I am feeling somewhat guilty for the length of time that I have been away from my much loved and treasured blog. In my absence I have celebrated my birthday, been to Paris, started reading a new book, which has managed to crawl beneath my skin and has claimed me entirely (indeed I am reading Fifty Shades of Grey), have begun to write my own novel with more urgency than I have the past few years that I have been writing it (yes, I said years!) and have just returned from Marrakech Morrocco!

So, I suppose I should start with Paris…

There are so many reasons that I adore Paris. I generally tend to love cities, but there’s something about this beautiful city that agrees with me so well. The first time I went to Paris I met a French woman at the Cuban Compagnie Cafe in Bastille, she spent a while talking to me and my friends about Paris and London. She said there is something very special about the relationship and connection between Paris and London…this was around the time that Marie Claire had coined those with dual lives split between Paris and London, ever so aptly, the Par – Dons. Paris is a very feminine city and London, its counterpart, is male, she said. Now looking back on her observation and having visited Paris twice since then with her notion in mind, it seems that her observation explains my affection to Paris so accurately.

Paris, romantic, whimsical and introspective seems to speak to the writer within me…that is me and that I aspire to be. It paints pictures of Fitzgerald, Hemmingway and the expatriate art set that flocked to the city to seek romance, escapism and material for their novels. It illustrates the many fantastic articles I have read about Azzedine Alaia (his clothes I am still not rich enough to afford) and his rise to success ( a tale I can imagine would make a beautiful film) and his unique atelier on the rue du Moussy in Paris. Possibly the only piece of architecture I have ever really looked at and found breathtakingly beautiful resides in Paris…the looming presence of the Notre Dame. The thought of talking hours away in a tiny cafe facing the street and watching the passersby is such a simple yet fruitful pastime and the chicness I could admire forever. I love Paris for its civility, it’s sophistication, its simplicity, its style – it’s overall voyeuristic nature and henceforth, its understanding of humanity.

First glass of champagne on the EurostarEnroute to Paris wearing my favourite shirt of the minute from ZaraGare du Nord from the hotel balcony